Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is entering his final year in office much as he began his up-and-down tenure: overseeing a state beset by financial turmoil. He has only a few months left to tackle the reforms he promised after he became governor in 2003, yet faces a $21 billion budget shortfall. On Tuesday, the Republican governor declined to say what he would include in his final State of the State address, which is scheduled for Wednesday morning. But he told reporters he does not want to admit it's his final year. The governor's state of denial may be linked to his lack of progress ... Read Full Story

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger says he is planning to undertake a budget and tax reform this year to give the state a more solid and reliable source of revenue. "I will talk more about this in my State of the State but the bottom line is, our budget and tax systems are the root of a lot of our state's fiscal problems," Schwarzenegger said Friday in his New Year's radio address. Over the last 12 months, California faced a 60-billion-dollar deficit and a 12.5-percent unemployment rate. The governor said the deficits have led to painful spending cuts and tax increases, which hold the economy ... Read Full Story

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says countries cannot solve the problem of climate change without the help of local governments. In a speech planned Tuesday before the U.N. climate conference in Copenhagen, Schwarzenegger will encourage international agreements but say that won't be enough to combat global warming. "The world's governments alone cannot make the progress that is needed on global climate change," Schwarzenegger says in remarks prepared for delivery at the 192-nation conference. "They need the cities, the states, the provinces, the regions. They need the corporations, the activists, the scientists, the universities." President Barack Obama and more than 100 other national leaders were heading to ... Read Full Story

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger urged Monday the US government to take the lead in the fight against climate change, as he prepares to head to Copenhagen for the UN summit. "It would be good for the whole world ... if the US becomes the power behind the movement," Schwarzenegger told the Financial Times. He said he could sympathise with US President Barack Obama's efforts to secure backing in the US Congress for national emissions targets. But he added "it would be incredible if America makes a commitment" that helps secure a global framework on climate change. "America within 10 years could get 20 percent ... Read Full Story

A judge has ruled against Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's furlough order for thousands of California prison guards. Alameda County Superior Court Judge Frank Roesch on Thursday sided with the California Correctional Peace Officers Association and ordered the state to pay prison guards back for the days they worked without pay. The union argued that Schwarzenegger's furlough order amounted to a wage cut because prison guards could not take time off due to the nature of their work. Schwarzenegger had imposed three mandatory unpaid days off each month for more than 200,000 state workers this year to help close a multibillion-dollar budget deficit. Roesch's decision applies ... Read Full Story